Ford, T-Mobile and partners are researching a smartphone-based communications approach that could potentially help warn drivers of pedestrians and bicyclists—even objects hidden from direct view.
There would be a concept smartphone app for pedestrians and others to communicate their presence and risks to connected Ford vehicles with SYNC software to provide in-vehicle screen alerts that complement Ford Co-Pilot 360 ADAS and other tech.
Ford is doing the research with Commsignia, PSS, Ohio State University, T-Mobile and Tome Software, according to a release from the automaker. The tech is being demonstrated this week at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America World Congress in Los Angeles.
The conceptual smartphone app running on a pedestrian’s smartphone would use Bluetooth Low Energy to communicate their location to a connected Ford vehicle. If the vehicle calculates a potential crash risk, Ford SYNC can then alert drivers in a screen inside the vehicle showing graphics of pedestrian, bicyclists and more, along with an audio alert.
The vehicle could even apply brakes if the driver does not respond in time, according to Jim Buczkowksi, executive director of research and advanced engineering at Ford.
The expanded sensing capability of the system could be expanded to detect road construction zones and construction workers, he said. BLE at 2.4 GHz is already part of smartphones and is affordable and effective, he noted. Ford’s concept uses BLE as a beacon capable of sensing other devices in range running similar equipment without actual pairing.
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